A song about a murder. The murder ballad has its origins in Folk Music traditions dating back centuries, but since the 20th century has bled into blues, country, rock & roll, and rap as well. A Murder Ballad can be told from the perspective of the killer, the victim, or (most often) a third party observer. This particular style is a rich target for genre satire as well, as the examples below show. Many of the Child Ballads, collected by Francis Child, are Murder Ballads. Many examples contain Lyrical Dissonance. The Other Wiki has examples. Examples with their definitive recording.